Lock structure for coin savings banks



June 1952 w; J. MGSWEENEY LOCK STRUCTURE FOR com SAVINGS BANKS Filed June 4. 1949 @sm M Nam Q, /f /f m W M3 M ,0 W +5 Q Q @1 5 V56. Zmmwm hww l 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM J. W Swezneva u A TTORNEY.

Patented June 10, 1952 LOCK STRUCTURE FOR COIN SAVINGS BANKS William J. McSweeney, Chicago, 111., assignor to National Thrift Plans, Inc., West Bend, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 4, 1949, Serial No. 97,160

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in pocket-savings banks particularly the type furnished by savings institutions as a convenience to savings depositors.

Such banks must be compact and neat appearing and yet be sufficiently strong to stand up under continued usage. In the use of such banks a representative of the savings institution possesses the key for opening the banks upon presentation by the depositor. Heretofore banks of this character have been made with a removable inner tray and with a lock which consisted of an inherently resilient latch. The removable inner tray, as an extra member, made the bank cumbersome to use and the resilient latch, operated by the key. soon became worn or deformed and useless.

One of the objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide a pocket-savings bank which is easy to handle when being opened and which has a simple, strong, long-wearing lock easily opened by the ofiicial key.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pocket-savings bank which is durable and efficient in use and easy and inexpensive to manufacture on a production basis.

These objects are obtained by making the bank of three members hinged together along one edge thereof. When all three members are closed in superimposed relationship, the inner member cooperates with each of the outer members to form three coin compartments on each side of the inner member. All of the members are con structed of sheet metal which is formed on dies to provide the desired shape and construction. Each of the outer members is provided with a peripherally extending laterally projecting flange which not only stiffens the member but also constitutes a functional element of the bank. The flange on the top cooperates with the inner member to provide a coin-receiving opening. The flange on the bottom acts as a bottom of the coin compartment. The flange on the free edge of one member has a longitudinally extending groove forming one element of the lock. The flange on the free edge of the other member has a longitudinally extending inwardly projecting tongue which interfits with such groove to form another element of the lock. The lock is opened by a keyvwhich simultaneously slides the outer members relative to each other to move the tongue out of the groove while simultaneously providing a force thrusting them apart. To aid in permitting such relative sliding, the hinge barrels are outer members. In unlocking, these resilient flanges, as well asthe general resiliency of the outer members and lock elements, all play a part. With this construction the bank resists opening except when the proper key is used. However. it will open easily under the pressure properly applied by the key and all the parts will remain attached while the coin compartments are fully exposed. As the flexing necessary to lock and unlock the bank is furnished in part by the flanges, the members themselves, and the locking elements, no one part is unduly flexed and the lockwill be long wearing.

The novel features, which are considered characteristic of the invention, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a pocketsavings bank incorporating the present invention, the bank being shown with the coin-receiving opening at the top;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the bank shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the coin-receiving openings;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view'taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the bank viewed in Fig. 1 with the outer members opened to provide access to the contents of the bank;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the key by which the bank of Fig. 1 is opened; and

Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation of such key.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, the bank consists of front member Ill, rear member l2, and intermediate member l4, all hinged together along the left-hand edges thereof so that complete access may be had to the coin compartments of the bank by merely swinging the front and back members apart as shown in Fig. '7. However, when opened the members remain assembled and no parts of the bank are detached. Both members l0 and I2 have a peripherally extending inwardly laterally projecting flange. The left-hand flange of front member [0 has integral barrels l6 and left-hand flange H of the rear member has integral barrels l8. These barrels are inter-spaced as shown with the barrels on the left edge of intermediate member l4 and jointly held in hinged relationship by pintle 2;. Top flanges 24 of both members terminate in down-curved lips 25 spaced in the closed position of the bank from intermediate member M to form coin-receiving openings indicated at 2B. Right-hand flange 28 of the rear member, except for the corners and keyhole, has longitudinally extending inwardly projecting tongue 30 which interfits with longitudinally extending groove -32 formed on right-hand flange 34 of the front member. The bottom flanges 36 of both iront and rear member terminate in upwardly curved lips 38 which in the closed position of the bank are in contact with eachother to provide a bottom ior the coin nompartments. The flanges -stiflen each of the front rand-rear members and at :the same time perform the function of :defining the coin openings and bottom wall of the coin compartment and acting as elements of the hank lock.

-The interior of the bank is divided into six coin compartments, three on each side of intermediate member 14, by ribs projecting la't- .erally from such :member. These ribs, which are made :by folding the metal as shown, arein close enough associationwith the members :Hi and H! to keep coins within the separate compartments. The top edge of member 14 is level with the top oi'flanges 26 so as to divide the coin-receiving opening into halves each of which leads to compartments on its respective-side of that member. The bottom of intermediate member 14 stops short of the bottom flanges 3 8 so that lips 38may contact each other to close the bottom of the compartments.

The lock provided by the interfltting of tongue 30 and groove 32 is aided in the locking thereof by an inclined flap 52 formed on the flange 3 adjacent groove 32. As members ill and '12 are swung together, tongue rides on flap 42 and members l0 and i2 are slid laterally of each other and flange 28 somewhat flexed to permit tongue '30 to ride to the edge of grooves 32 and snap into the bottom thereof. To unlock the lock it is necessary to move members H! and I2 laterally with respect to each other. slightly flex flange 28, and at the same time apply separating pressure on such'members.

To accomplish the unlocking, the tongue '30 is provided with key-receiving notch M. Opposite from this notch the inner edge of groove 3-2 and flap 42 are straightened out to form a cooperating notch 46. The notches, as shown in Fig. 4. define a keyhole for receiving hook end 48 of key 56. The wall of notch '46 guides the end 4'8 and keeps it close to flange 23. Then as the key is swung downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 4, rounded fulcrum 52 will bear against flange 34 in a downwardly and inwardly (toward left) direction and end 68 will bear against flange 28 in an upwardly and outwardly (toward right) direction. This slides the members relatively lat- -ferally, flexing hingeharrel flanges [-5 and IT, and

"to some extent flanges 28 and 34, until the end of ton-gue 30 clears the edge of groove 32. The

openings 54 may be formed in all the members. It is desirable to provide the openings 54 in the front and rear members with a peripheral flange 56 which resiliently engages the coins to prevent rattling. These flanges also aid in stiffening the sheet metal sides of the members; Ridges 58 may be depressed from the outside of members i0 and i2 adjacent coin-receiving openings 26. They cooperate with the inner member M to deflne a coin guide for directing the coins into the coin compartments and also act as an identifying-device for easily locating the coin-receiving openings.

Although :only one embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein, it will be understood that this application is intended to 500K781 such changes or modifications as come within the spirit of the invention or scope oi the following claim.

I claim:

In a pocket-savings bank, a pair of juxtapositioned members forming'thewalls of a coin compartment, an inwardly laterally proiecting flange integrally formed on each member andex'tending along the entire length of each side of said members, hinge barrels integrally formed on the outer edge of each flange along a first side of each member. there being inherent resilience in said flange along said first side permitting saidbarrels to have relative movement with respect to each of said members, the barrels on one member being interspaced from the barrels on the other mem-- ber, and a rigid pintle in said barrels whereby said members are hingedly interconnected, the

jacent said groove being sloped inwardly of said one member to provide an inclined .flap for aiding the entry of a locking tongue into said :groove, the flange of the other member along a second sidethereof opposite said first side being formed inwardly to provide an inwardly projecting tongue extending longitudinally substantially the full length of said second side for .interfltti-ng with said groove in the locked condition of said bank, there being inherent resilience in said tongue to permit relative flexing thereof with respect to said other member during vlocking of said bank, said tongue and said groove being so related with respect to each other that in the locked condition of said bani; with said tongue seated in said groove said tongue andthe flange of said other member along said second side and the flange on each member along said first side will all be flexed from normal and placed under tension to make a secure lock normally unoper able without the use of a special key, said tongue centrally thereof having :a key-receiving notch 'r'orm both a cooperating notch in spaced al-inm ment with said key-receiving notch and an order bearing for a key on the outside of the base-oi. said flange of said one member along said secend-side whereby a key may be inserted into the keyhole formed by said 'alined notches and said members relatively moved by opposite pressures 5 on said inner and outer hearings to unseat said Number tongue from said groove. 1,678,646 WILLIAM J. McSWEENEY. 1,700,987 1,782,213 REFERENCES CITED 5 2,123,588 The following references are of record in the 23411740 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date 2 ,664 1,470,358 Greenbaum Oct. 9, 1923 131,004

Name Date Miller July 31, 1928 Moran Feb. 5, 1929 Scully Nov. 18, 1930 Luneke July 12, 1938 Schmid May 13, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain A. D. 1893 Germany A. D. 1902 

